NekoBoss and Kittymano
by NatD-LE
Summary: One memorable Christmas, Spain gave Romano a little kitten. But what does Spain's cat think about the newcomer, and vise versa? Boss Spain and Chibi Romano/Nekotalia. Short fluff.
1. The Present

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**.

**Kinda early, but happy holidays to you all ^^* I know you guys are eager for the next chapter for Hue of Crimson, but I just wrote this today for a friend and wanted to put it up. It's very short and very fluffy (literally!).**

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It was Christmas morning (literally, like, 3 in the morning). Little Romano was sneaking down the stairs to check under the tree for presents. The living room was dark aside from the lights on the tree and along the fireplace. He skidded to a stop. The only thing under the tree was Spain's cat, which eyed him lazily. Romano stared at the tree for a moment before kicking the ground and trying not to cry. "D-dammit! He didn't show! I knew it."

"Who didn't show?" Romano jumped and looked around for the source of the new voice. Sitting on the couch, watching Romano with a little smile, was Spain, still half dressed in his uniform minus the coat, boots, and halberd. Romano hurriedly rubbed his eyes free of tears.

"S-Spain! You're home!" Romano tried to look indifferent, but he still walked over to the man and held out his arms. Spain chuckled and scooped him up to cuddle him.

"Didja miss Boss that much, Roma? That you thought I wouldn't be home?"

"No, I didn't miss you! Let go, yah jerk, I can't breathe!" Spain let Romano go on the couch beside him. He was tiny in comparison, but slightly bigger than the Spaniard remembered. It made Spain a little sad, knowing that Romano was growing up, but he didn't let it ruin the holiday mood. "I was talking about Santa. That fucker forgot to visit our house! He—he forgot me." Romano's voice dropped and he tried to hold back his tears again. Spain frowned and wiped his cheek.

"Aw, Roma, don't think like that. Santa never forgets anyone!"

"Then why aren't there any presents?"

"You're so greedy." Spain teased, then reached over the arm of the couch behind him and pushed out a box. "See? Santa didn't forget you." Romano's eyes lit up and he got off the couch to kneel by the box.

"Can I open it?"

"Of course! It's Christmas morning… sorta." Spain shrugged. Romano examined the box curiously, eyeing the holes made in it, before he started opening it. He peeked inside to see a little kitten, white with brown spots. It looked up at him with sleepy brownish-yellow eyes.

"It's a kitty!" Romano was shocked. He expected toys, clothes, money, even sweets or one of Spain's homemade 'gifts'. He never expected a pet.

"Santa left it here just as I came home. He said that he picked him out because he reminded him of you." Spain smiled at his surprised henchman. Romano reached in and gently pet the kitten on the head. It gave a 'mew' and went back to sleep. "Well, he wasn't wrong." Spain murmured. Romano punched him in the leg. Meanwhile, Spain's cat heard the meow and his ears perked up. He stood, stretched, and went to investigate the box. He sniffed around it, then rose to look inside. Being a friendly cat, when he saw Romano's kitten, he let out a small meow.

The kitten woke up and scrambled to its feet, hissing and trying to bat at the bigger strange cat. Spain's cat meowed again and tried to go into the box. The little kitten started yeowling. "He definitely wasn't wrong." Spain tried not to laugh.

"Spain, do something! Your stupid cat is scaring him!" Romano cried. Spain nodded and grabbed his cat before he could crawl into the box.

"They'll have to get to know each other eventually, if they're gonna live in the same house." He set his cat on the couch and stood up, holding his hand out for Romano's. "Why don't you let the kitten explore and we'll drink some Spanish hot chocolate?" Romano frowned, but nodded and reached in to grab his kitten. The kitten was still freaked out, so its claws dug into Romano's hands, but Romano managed to set the kitten down gently before standing and taking Spain's hand.

"Just don't make the hot chocolate too spicy this time. I nearly burned my mouth last time."

"Hehe, si." Spain and Romano both went into the kitchen, leaving the cats alone. Romano's kitten let out tiny meows as he watched the humans leave. When they didn't return, he decided to check out his surroundings. He smelt the air and the ground around him, slowly approaching things like a string from the carpet and the box he came from with care. He reached the blanket right under the tree and recoiled. It smelled like a strange cat, and it was still warm.

The little kitten remembered the other cat and looked around for him. He spotted him sleeping on the couch. The kitten approached the older cat cautiously and rose up to bat the older cat's paw, hanging down from the couch. The older cat's eye opened and looked down at him. "_Si?_"

_"Who are you and what are you doing in my new territory?_" The kitten eyed the bigger cat. The cat yawned and stretched, looking down at the kitten with amusement in his big green eyes.

"_Actually, you're in MY territory, but I don't mind sharing~ As for who I am, I am called Antonio, but I am sometimes called Toni. Do you have a name, little one?_"

"_Don't call me little!_" The kitten hissed at Toni. "_My mama named me Lovino._"

"_Nice to meet you, Lovino._" The cat greeted kindly.

"_Whatever. Just stay away from me._" Lovino turned away and went back to exploring. Toni stayed where he was, but kept an eye on the kitten. Lovino went back to the tree and sniffed every other ornament, then tried going by the fireplace but found it too hot. Something shiny caught his eye as he walked away from the fireplace. Upon further investigation, he found it was a shiny bell of some sort. His instincts took over and he crouched, then pounced on the bell to try to catch it. It rolled away with a tiny ringing sound.

Lovino kept pouncing and pouncing to try to catch it. Eventually, it rolled under a small end table. Without thinking, Lovino dove under the table to catch it. It had rolled just out of reach. He tried to get back out to try to get it from another side, but he couldn't move. He pushed himself backwards and nothing. He tried using his claws or wiggling. It was no use. He was stuck. "_Help! Mama! Help me!_" He cried, but knew his mama couldn't hear him. He started getting scared and claustrophobic. "_Toni! Help!_" He desperately cried, meowing as loudly as he could.

Suddenly, he felt a pinch on his exposed back, then something pulling him. He lowered his head to avoid getting hit, but the table still scratched him a little. Before he knew it, he was out in the open and in the air, held by his fur in Toni's mouth. "_Are you okay?_" Toni asked urgently.

"_M-mmhm._" Lovino nodded his little head, then started squirming. "_Alright, you bastard. You can put me down now._"

"_Nope._" Toni said and started walking back to the couch, still holding Lovino in his mouth. Lovino squirmed more.

"_What?! Let me go, dammit!_"

"_You have a dirty mouth for a little one._"

"_Let me down!_" Lovino demanded again. Toni jumped onto the couch and set Lovino down.

"_You're staying here so I can keep an eye on you._" Toni told Lovino sternly.

"_Like hell! You're not the boss of me!_" Lovino padded over to the edge of the couch to jump down, but he hesitated. The couch was really high off the ground. He took a deep breath and tried to hop down, but lost balance in his legs on the landing and fell over. Antonio sighed, jumped down, and grabbed Lovino by the scruff of the neck.

"_I am the oldest cat here, so you should let me help you. Your mama is not here to help you when you get into trouble. I don't care if you don't like me, you're going to have to get used to me being here and let me help you. Alright?_" Toni hopped back up on the couch. Lovino made a grumbling sound in his throat, but didn't respond or squirm. Toni took that as approval, or as close to approval as he could get. "_Bien. Now, let's clean you up. You're all dusty_."

Before Lovino knew it, he was sitting on the couch and Tonio was licking the dust off of him. It was weird, since male cats don't normally do this unless the other is injured, but Lovino was pretty dirty from the box, the different hands he had been in, and the dust from the table. His mama hadn't given him a bath since the few hours before he was adopted. Sadness weighed heavily in his heart.

"_I miss my mama._" He murmured to himself, hoping that the older cat didn't hear but knowing he did anyway.

"_She sounds like a good cat._" Tonio paused his licks by Lovino's ears to comment.

"_Not that it's any of your business, but she was. She loved all of us, even if my grandpa liked my younger brother more._"

"_You have a younger brother?_"

"_Yeah, Feliciano._" He spat out the name. "_I love him as a brother, but he was always spoiled, even by the humans that we lived with. My mama was the only one who treated us fairly._" Lovino's ears drooped and his head bowed. Antonio kept cleaning for a moment before leaning away and laying down so he was peeking up at Lovino's face.

"_Don't be sad. I'll take care of you just like she did._"

"_You're not a girl!_"

"_No, but I can still take care of you. I'll be like your papa, if you want._" Lovino eyed him. He never saw his papa. Whoever his papa was left and neither mama nor grandpa liked talking about him. He didn't feel like he should trust this cat. Toni only just met him. He'll probably get sick of him sooner or later. Before he could answer, a big yawn escaped him. "_Ah, you're tired. I'll let you sleep, then._" Toni stood up and walked over to the corner of the couch. As he curled up there, he saw Lovino padding over in his direction. Without saying a word, he curled up, back pressed up against Antonio's ribs.

Antonio felt very happy to see that, but he didn't say anything either. Instead, he curled around Lovino to keep him warm and licked the remaining dust off the top of the drowsy kitten's head before closing his eyes and letting sleep take him. He didn't even notice his master walking through the living room, holding his own sleeping henchman in his arms. Spain smiled at the sight of the cats. He wondered if this is what he and Romano looked like sometimes. If they were anything like him and Roma, he wasn't worried about those two getting along in the least. "Merry Christmas." He murmured before heading upstairs to tuck Romano in.

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**Sorry there's not much plot. Maybe I'll write some in someday? For now, enjoy mindless fluff.**

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	2. Running Away

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

**Ever had an idea that just spiraled into something more? Well, since I wrote the first chapter of this, I had the idea for the next 2 chapters ;w; I have other things to work on, but screw it. Writing about kitties is the most adorable mindset I have ever been in.**

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Since that night, Lovino has adjusted fairly to living at the House of Spain. His master was young just like he was, so they played often. The cheerful older master always fed them whenever he was at the house, but he often spent his time away and came back covered in wounds. Lovino's best guess is that he was in a big war of some kind.

Antonio took up the role of 'papa' as best he could. Lovino was difficult at times and often ran away from him or hissed at him, but Antonio still looked after him. Spain never saw Lovino walk into a room without Antonio a few steps behind. There were even times when Lovino followed Antonio into a room, and those cozy family moments when they played with each other.

The holiday season passed and the snow was melting into dirty slush. When it was warm enough to go outside, Spain took Romano outside in a light jacket and a hat to start cleaning up any dead tomato plants in preparation for the spring. The cats followed their owners. It was Lovino's first time outdoors. He was wide-eyed as he walked in the wet grass and explored, often shaking his paws to get the water off. He sniffed at the dirty snow piles and the sticks that hold the tomatoes.

"Lovi, get away from there, you'll get dirty!" His master called. Lovino inched away from the dirt and tried not to make a distasteful sound. Apparently, his information, including his name, was left with Antonio's master. However, Lovino's master decided to shorten his name. It wouldn't have been so embarrassing if Antonio hadn't taken such a liking to it. Living with that cat was like living with a 24 hour sunshine. He was always so cheerful, with a bright look on his face and a bright 'meow' that he greets with and just everything about him was bright. It just bugged Lovino.

He was content with his new home nevertheless, but he still woke up at night crying for his mama. He missed her. He even missed Feliciano, who he swore Toni's master almost picked. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had. Lovino felt like there was a hole in his heart and, as hard as Toni tried to comfort him during those lonely nights instead, he just couldn't fill it back up again. Lovino knew it hurt Toni's feelings, but the big cat never tried to show discomfort around him. He always had bright, happy eyes for the kitten.

Lovino wandered a little further away, glancing back every so often just in case Toni called him. Toni fit himself into Lovino's life as an unwanted bodyguard. Since he is older, Lovino has to listen to him if he says something is dangerous, but he always made a point in snarling at Antonio that he wasn't really his boss. At the moment, Toni wasn't even paying attention to him. He was eyeing a small group of birds that landed on the other side of the house, probably some of the first to return from the south. Lovino scoffed. "_And he calls himself a protector. What an idiot._"

Lovino kept walking, sniffing at every new thing he came across. He liked being outside. It was freezing, but there was so much interesting stuff to explore. As he walked further, he saw something very interesting: an open gate. The older master's house mates must've left it open. Lovino stared at it, temped. No matter how luxurious this house may be, he could never be happy here. It felt like he didn't belong at all. His mama's master put him up for sale because he was too hard to handle. Even now, Master Spain grows tired and his master doesn't seem to give a damn. Antonio tries, but it doesn't believe that he means it. Lovino has always been convinced that the old cat was faking.

He checked back to see if anyone was watching. Romano and Spain were still working on the plants and Antonio was stalking the birds. No one paid attention to him at all. Lovino took a deep breath. That settles it. He turned and swiftly ran out the gate and down the path, toward wherever it may lead.

**X-X-X**

An hour or so later, it was starting to get dark. Spain ushered Romano inside and called out for Toni to come in as well. Toni, who was exhausted from chasing birds, rose up to his feet to go in. "_Lovi! Come inside!_" No answer. Toni wondered if he was already inside, but he didn't see him go in. He walked closer toward where he saw Lovino last. Maybe he's too far away to hear. Toni meowed louder. "_Lovi!_" Still no answer. Antonio could still smell a little bit of him, but it's strangely faint.

He rounded the corner of the house and froze. Right before him was the small gate out of the yard, and it was open. Toni raced over and peeked out. Nothing in sight, but on the ground was a small, faded imprint of a cat paw. "_Lovino!_" Toni cried, alarmed now. Why would Lovino leave the house? Antonio always teased that he was ridiculously curious, but even Lovino wasn't stupid enough to run off by himself. Unless, of course he was running away.

His heart sank sadly. He knew Lovino still longed to be with his mama. Nothing can ever replace the love a mother can give a child—Antonio knew that as well as anyone. He tried as hard as he could, but Lovi still woke up crying and no amount of comfort could cheer him up. That's probably why he ran away—to find his mama again. But Lovino didn't know where she was and he has never been in town. There are dangerous things there. Big heavy shoes, ruthless humans, other cats, rats! Lovi can't survive out there.

"Hey, stupid cats! Get in the house already!" Antonio turned and saw Romano walking out, calling for them. Toni meowed loudly and Romano walked towards the meow. Just like when Toni rounded the corner, he froze at the site of the open gate. Toni meowed urgently, ears pressed back against his head. Romano blinked, looking shocked, then ran back into the house, calling for Master Spain. Toni wanted to wait for his master to tell him what they should do, but he kept imagining a scared Lovino dodging boots or running from strays. Worse, he imagined a horrible image of him laying unmoving in the streets.

"_No! I can't wait around! I have to find him!_" Antonio decided. With no time to waste, he ran out and down the path toward the town.

**X-X-X**

Lovino had never felt so freaked out since he was adopted. He followed the path for about an hour until he reached the entrance to a town. He could only assume it was the local village. Deciding there was no turning back, he went into town. Now he wished he had turned back. There were strange people everywhere, always in some form of rush or just not watching where they were going. Lovino's poor little heart was ready to give out from all of the running and dodging. Not to mention the kids. Whenever a kid saw him, they felt the need to chase him for a good block or so before their parents caught them or they decided Lovino wasn't worth it. For the first time, he missed his old master.

He tried turning back around, but he didn't remember which route he took since he came. He didn't even know where he was now. He was wet, cold, hungry, and scared. Lovino tried not to cry out as he tried to look for some shelter. When another kid started chasing him, he ran into an alley up ahead. Doing so made him lose the child, but gain some other unwanted attention. Just when he thought he could sit down and rest, he saw a large cat appear. For a hopeful moment, he wondered if it was Toni.

As the cat came closer, Lovino saw right away that it wasn't Antonio. This cat was smaller but a little more plump. He had a slight permanent frown and his nose was turned up. He had an air of authority about him. "_Well, look what we have here. Lost, are you?_" Lovino hesitated. He didn't know how to deal with strange cats. The only strange cat he knew was Antonio.

"_N-no._" Lovino tried to sound confident.

"_Oh? So you just wandered into my territory on purpose?_" The cat came closer. Lovino inched back.

"_No!_"

"_Make up your bloody mind! Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway. Either way, there has to be punishment for barging into my alley._" Lovino's ears flattened against his head. He didn't like the sound of that.

"_Y-you bastard, you wouldn't do anything to a kitten!_" Lovino fearfully said.

"_I've done worse, kid. Believe me. I might as well do it, anyway. If I don't, some other cat will come along and waste you as well._" The cat came even closer. Lovino REALLY didn't like the sound of that. The moment the cat took another step, Lovino turned and bolted. He ran as fast as he could out of that alley. He could hear meowing and the cat running behind him.

"_Toni! Save me!_" Lovino cried, hoping that SOMEHOW, he would be heard. It didn't even have to be by the cat he asked for. Imagine his surprise when, as he ran out of the alley, he ran into the exact cat he asked for. He skidded to a stop right at Antonio's feet. Lovino looked up and their eyes met. Just before Antonio could speak, there was another sound of a cat stopping against the sidewalk.

"_Antonio! What are you doing here?!_" The cat demanded. Lovino blinked in disbelief. They knew each other?

"_Arthur. What were you doing chasing my henchman?_" Antonio's voice was calm, but his fierce expression made Lovino recoil a little. Antonio stepped a little over him to face the other cat, Arthur, with Lovino behind him.

"_The brat challenged me. He stepped into my home!_"

"_He probably didn't mean to. He was lost. Go back to your home now before this gets messy._"

"_Hold on!_" Arthur scoffed. "_You're not going anywhere. If I just let him go, no one will respect me around here. It's bad enough I have cats always stealing my food, I don't need some little rat bait coming and going as he pleases._ _He needs to be taught a lesson._"

"_You won't lay a paw on him_." Antonio's voice changed into a warning growl. Lovino stayed very still behind him, frozen in fear. Arthur snarled back.

"_Or what?_" As soon as those words left Arthur, Antonio swiped his claw at his face, leaving behind a scratch on Arthur's face. Arthur glared and swiped back at Antonio, scratching his neck. That was when things turned ugly. The fight was short but had extensive damage. They bit, scratched, kicked and knocked each other around. Eventually, Antonio swiped at Arthur hard enough to make Arthur back away. Antonio hissed in warning once more before Arthur ran back into the alley.

Antonio nodded in satisfaction and turned to look at the frightened kitten still sitting there. Lovino gasped when he saw how beaten up Antonio looked. "_Toni… I…_" Lovino tried to apologize, but his meows faltered. Antonio said nothing. He just walked over, grabbed Lovino by the scruff of the neck, and walked home.

When they arrived, Mistress Belgium was the one who answered the door. She smiled when she saw the larger and battle-worn cat carrying the kitten, still safe and sound. "Romano went to sleep and Spain is with him. I'll get you some milk and tell him you're back." She gently patted Toni on the head. "You did well." She picked up her skirt and walked to the kitchen. Toni walked into the living room. He set Lovino gently down on the carpet and began to gently clean him.

Lovino sat still, feeling guilty as he saw the scratches on Antonio's legs, back, and along his neck. "_Do they hurt?_" Lovino finally got the courage to ask. Toni looked down at his scars and shook his head.

"_Not so much. I'm used to these kinds of wounds. They'll heal in a few days._" Toni reassured the kitten and gave him a few final licks before laying down beside him. "_Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?_"

"_Me? ME? Why are you worried about me?!_" Lovino exploded, looking at Toni in outrage. "_Because of me, you're all beat up and shit! Because I decided to run away, you had to come after me in the first place! This is all my fault! You shouldn't be worried about ME! Worry about yourself, bastard! Are YOU okay?_" Toni stared at him, shocked. Lovino realized what he just said and looked away in embarrassment. After a few seconds, he felt Antonio's head bump his.

"_Aww Lovi, I'm so happy that you care._"

"_Hmph, don't get too used to it._"

"_Si, of course. Don't worry about me, Lovi, really. I'm okay._"

"_Don't lie to me._" Lovino meowed brokenly. "_Stop lying to me, okay? I can tell you're in pain, and I can tell you hate me for it. Go on. Just say it._" Toni tilted his head.

"_Well, okay, yes, I am in a bit of pain, but I don't hate you, Lovi. I can never hate you._" Lovino looked at him in disbelief.

"_Why are you so nice to me? I've been a jerk to you since I met you._"

"_Ah, I'm not too insulted by your actions._" Antonio rolled a shoulder in a shrug. "_It's your defense mechanism. Your master does that, too. You only do it because you're afraid of getting close._" Lovino looked at him silently, then at the ground. Toni sighed. "_Look, I know you miss your family. I lost my mama when I was about your age, too. But family isn't made by blood, Lovi. Family is made of people who care about you and want you around. I know I can't take over for your mama, but I still want to be your __familia__, Lovi._" Lovino felt little tears fill his eyes and fall, soaking the carpet. "_Can I?_"

"_B-bastard, you saved me f-from a weird English cat a-and you wonder if you c-can still be my f-family?_" Lovino shook his head as he bumped his head against Toni's shoulder. Toni affectionately gave his head a little lick. Lovino looked at Toni's neck and saw a big bleeding cut there. Shyly, he leaned in and licked it to make it clean.

"Toni, Lovi, come and get it!" Mistress Belgium gently called.

"_Come on, Lovi._" Toni stood up slowly. Lovino eyed him worriedly.

"_You sure you can walk?_" Toni looked playfully insulted, then took off for the kitchen.

"_Last one to the milk is a rotten fish!_" He called. Lovino blinked, then meowed in outrage and raced after Antonio, because like hell he was going to be the rotten fish!

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**Cute little nnnnnng. Next chapter should be written tomorrow-ish.**

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	3. Catching Mice

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

**Sorry it took me so long, lots of stuff has been going on. This chapter was based on a cute Neko!Spamano comic-ish picture I found on Deviantart. Little cuties, I swear.**

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It had been a few weeks since Lovino had run away. It was already closer to spring and the weather was getting much warmer. Spain had to leave for an extended voyage and left Belgium and Netherlands in charge of Romano and the cats. While he was gone, life went on as usual, except Belgium or Romano fed the cats. Antonio continued to teach Lovino the ways of the world in the meantime. With the warmer weather, Toni was able to go with Lovino into town, albeit he doesn't wander.

Today, however, the wind grew horribly chilly, so the cats stayed in. Antonio retired to his usual spot by the window, where the beam of the sun kept him warm until it set. Lovino played with a ball of yarn he 'borrowed' from Belgium's knitting basket. He chased the ball all the way into the kitchen, where he almost got wacked by a broom. He jumped and yeowled, startled. "Geez, watch where you're going, you stupid cat." His owner, Romano, scolded.

The kitten took no offense to his master's harsh words. For the first few days of living here, he was always feeling guilty and confused because, if he so much as meowed, his master would yell at him. He asked Antonio what he was doing wrong and Antonio assured him that Romano meant nothing by it. _"It's just the way he is, gatito. He often says rude things, but he never means them. He reminds me of you, actually_." Lovino told the older cat to go eat kitty litter for that comment, but after a few weeks, he saw what Antonio meant.

He learned to be more wary around Romano as well. The child was gentle, often stroking Lovino's head when the kitten settled down next to him, but he was extremely clumsy. You can hear something break in the household at least 3 times a day. Belgium often had to scold him. If Spain was home, he'd check for wounds before giving the child a lecture. So, if Lovino ever found himself in the same room with Romano and a broom, he knew to bolt. However, the way Romano was using his broom didn't suggest he was cleaning, as rare an action that was.

When Romano returned to whatever he was doing, Lovino snuck around to see what he was doing. He seemed to be hitting a small hole in the wall with the bristle side of the broom. Lovino watched him in confusion, wonder why the hell he was hitting a hole. Romano suddenly crouched, his maid dress stirring up some dust, and looked in the hole. "Uuggghhh dammit! Stupid jerk, come out already!" He yelled at the hole. Romano picked himself back up and turned to see his cat. He scowled at him. "You're a cat, YOU should be the one killing the mice. Why do I have to do your job? It's bad enough I do Spain's work for him!" Romano walked away grumbling to himself, dragging his broom behind him and almost knocking over a vase.

Lovino watched him go, feeling unbelievably clueless. Mice? What's a mice? What does him being a cat have to do with mice? He eyed the hole suspiciously. Is the mice in there? Cautiously, he walked to the hole and peered in. He could see lots of dust and little crumbs scattered around, but that's all and Lovino was sure his master wasn't referring to the crumbs. Lovino came closer and sniffed at it. His nose wrinkled at the smell. It was dank, dirty, and smelled like wet straw and poop. Disgusting.

"_I'll bet Antonio knows what a mice is._" Lovino wondered. With no time to waste, he left the room and went to where he last saw the bigger cat. Sure enough, his 'papa' was laying on the windowsill in the sunlight like the lazy blob of fur he is. Lovino rolled his eyes and jumped up to the window via the couch. "_Antonio, you lazy bastard. Wake up._" Lovino meowed. His demand fell on deaf ears. Lovino poked Antonio with his paw, but all Antonio did was stretch a little and continue napping. Lovino grumbled and started headbutting the cat in the stomach. Antonio let out a groan and grumble as he opened his eyes.

"_Hola, Lovi. I was in the middle of napping. What's up?_"

"_I had a question and you were asleep, you bastard._" Lovino huffed. Antonio smiled gently at the angry kitten and stretched his whole body with a yawn, almost knocking Lovino off.

"_Ahh~ Lo siento, Lovino. What was your question?_"

"_What's a 'mice'?_"

"_Mice?_" Antonio's ears perked up and he looked at the kitten seriously. "_Where did you hear that?_" Lovino was suddenly very interested at Antonio's reaction.

"_Romano was whacking at a hole with his broom and saying I should be the one to hunt the mice, not him_."

"_A hole? Lovino, can you show me where it is?_" Antonio got to his feet, still very serious. The cats hopped off the windowsill and made their way to the kitchen with Lovino leading. He took Toni to the hole and the bigger cat crouched right away to look into it. He sniffed at it, not reacting to the smell as much as Lovi did.

"_So what is a mice? You never answered me, bastard._"

"_Not 'mice'. Mouse. I can only smell one, thankfully, but if it's a mother, we could be looking at more than one._" Antonio looked at Lovino worriedly. "_You know those rats we see in town?_"

"_Yeah. They're creepy. They always look like they want to eat me_." Lovino shuddered. Every time he was in town with Toni, he sees them and freaks out. It embarrasses him, especially if other cats are walking by.

"_Well, a mouse is like the rat's cuter cousin. They're not as dirty or as rude as rats, but they leave droppings and eat human food. This time of year, it's no surprise that one got in. As a cat, I have to chase them out or eat them._" Antonio peeked into the hole.

"_Does that mean I have to chase them, too?_" Lovino wondered. Remembering the smell, he couldn't imagine eating them.

"_Someday, when you're big enough, you'll be helping me._" Tonio confirmed. "_Hm, the mouse might've made a hole on the other side of this wall. No one has been in and out of the house, so the mouse could still be in here._" He mused to himself and started walking out of the kitchen to the living room. Lovino bounded after him.

"_Wait! Can I help you now? Can you teach me to catch a mouse?_" Lovino has never felt so fascinated. Toni taught him more about the ways of being a cat every day, but never something as exciting as this. Learning to pee in a box was great and all, but it doesn't compare to hunting small creatures like a mouse.

"_You can come with me, but it's better if you stay close and stay back when I try to catch it. I'm skilled at catching mice and one wrong move could force the mouse to hide somewhere I cannot reach._" Lovino ruefully agreed and they walked along the wall to look for the second hole. They found one that was half behind a bookshelf. "_Mice are attracted to any smell of food, so if it's not in the kitchen, it might've gone to the storage room._" Lovino shuddered. He had been in the storage room once and got a face full of cobwebs. There was nothing there but tomato crates and some canned food, so the room isn't visited often during the winter.

The cats went back into the kitchen and through another door on the other side of the room that led to the laundry room. Through there, they came to the storage room door. Antonio looked worried when they saw that the door was left open. The bigger cat nudged it open and crept in, Lovino right at his heels. Antonio slid his paw under the door and pulled it shut before turning to the kitten. "_If it's in here, we have it trapped now. You look over there and I'll go that way. If you see the mouse, just call me._" Antonio darted away toward the left and disappeared behind a crate before Lovino could call out to him.

The younger cat grumbled and walked in the other direction, sniffing at the air and keeping an eye on all corners. A few times too many, he narrowly dodged a spider web to the face. One got stuck on his tail, though, and it was really bothersome. He wanted to complain, but Antonio said to meow only when he saw the mouse and he didn't want to look like a kitten crying bird. Plus, he wanted to prove that he could handle this. Being left alone to look for mice was a big responsibility and it meant Antonio trusted him. He did not want to screw it up.

However, it didn't mean much if Lovino didn't find the mouse, and so far, he isn't have much luck. He peeked in between boxes, under and around shelves, and even managed to climb onto a shelf and look around the jars left there. No mouse in sight. He found mouse droppings, which gave him hope that there was a mouse in here, but he had no luck spotting the real thing. Feeling annoyed, he headed toward the other side of the room to look for Antonio.

"_Tonio?_" He called gently when he got to the other side of the room and stopped dead at the sight. He was in one corner while Antonio was crouched in the other, tensed up and eyeing Lovino warningly. In between them was a small grey creature. It looked similar to a rat, but it was way smaller and slightly cuter. It was likely a fully grown mouse, since it was closer to Lovino's size. It seemed to have taken no notice to either cats, nibbling at a piece of moldy cheese. Lovino didn't dare move, Antonio's eyes warning him not to, in fear of scaring the little rodent.

Antonio knew he would have to act quickly now. He inched forward slightly and never took his eyes off of the mouse, his tail flickering madly. Lovino watched him with interest. Without thinking, he slowly sank into a crouch similar to Antonio's. Antonio blinked and momentarily lost focus to watch the kitten. Lovino started wriggling forward slightly, trying to get closer to the mouse just like Antonio was. He looked less like he was prowling and more like he was a worm.

Suddenly, the mouse turned its head and looked straight at Lovino. He froze completely stared at the mouse. Antonio sat there and watched, ready to pounce if anything happened. The mouse came closer, its little nose twitching as it sniffed the air, looking curious. It came closer and closer to Lovino, who was trying hard not to even breath. They were nose to nose for a moment when the kitten noticed that the mouse's eyes seemed unfocused and had a slight milky undertone.

Then the mouse put its paws on Lovino's face. He swallowed a yowl and stayed still, looking at Antonio for help. The cat just sat there, watching the mouse crawl up Lovino's face like it was a mountain or something, reach the top of the head, and start crawling down the kitten's back. Lovino was shaking slightly. So was Antonio, but for slightly different reasons. The mouse hopped off Lovino's rump and seemed to follow its nose to another crumb.

"_Well, that proved my theory. That mouse is blind, probably born that way and doesn't recognize the smell of cats._" Antonio noted, straightening up from his crouch and looking down at the kitten. "_You all right, Lovi?_"

"_Nnng… nng…_" Lovino shook all over before he finally let out a disgusted and traumatized cry. "_I-It touched me! T-Tonio, you bastard, wh-why did you let it crawl on me like that? Euugghh it was so disgustiiiing!_"

"_Shh shh shh, it's okay cariño, don't cry_." Antonio nuzzled the frightened kitten and let him cry and shudder for a while, one eye on the calm and unmoving mouse right behind him. Once Lovino was calm and grumpily dismissed Antonio, the older cat went over to the mouse and picked it up in his mouth. Thankfully, Belgium was in the room right next door, so a few scratches and the door was opened.

"A mouse? Oh, Romano was raving about one earlier. Good job, Antonio. Go let it outside." She beamed at the cats as they walked out of the room. Antonio quickly let the mouse free outside, where it bolted as soon as it was free of the prison. When he was back inside, he found Lovino batting his earlier-abandoned ball of yarn dejectedly.

"_Something wrong, Lovi?_"

"_Mng_." He grumbled, staring at the ground. "_I wanted to be the one to catch that mouse, bastard. To prove that I can be a good cat_."

"_Silly gatito._" Antonio chuckled and laid down next to the kitten. "_You don't have to catch mice to be a good cat._"

"_But Romano said that I should catch mice because I'm a cat and you catch mice, so…_" Lovino got flustered and pawed at the carpet.

"_Lovino, you don't become a good cat because you chase mice. You become a good cat by being yourself and making yourself happy. We're not dogs. We don't serve anyone other than ourselves, with the exception of the ones we love._" He nudged the kitten kindly and teasingly. "_I think you're already on your way to becoming a great cat, mouse or no mouse._"

Lovino ducked his head to hide the happy look his eyes were showing. "_Thanks, Tonio._"

"_If you really want to, the next time we get a mouse in the house, I'll let you catch it._" Antonio purred enthusiastically. Lovino couldn't hide his excitement this time. For a while, they played with the yarn and Antonio taught him a few basics on sneaking up on your prey, making little jokes at Lovino's little worming back in the storage room. Belgium later came to tell the cats that she set out food for them, and to take back her yarn.

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**Translations-**

_Cari__ño-_ darling

_gatito_- kitten

_lo siento- _i'm sorry

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